Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s (D-MD) decision to retire at the end of her term has sparked a predictable succession feud among Democrats in that deep blue state, but the coming internecine squabble has the potential to engulf the entire party. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a six-term member of Congress and the former chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, wasted no time in declaring his intention to run for Mikulski’s seat. On Friday, he received a powerful endorsement from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. “I enthusiastically endorse Chris Van Hollen for the United States Senate,” Reid said in a statement....

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – This past weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, every possible candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination laid out his case on why he should be for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. As could be expected, every speaker from Jeb Bush to Rand Paul to Ben Carson used the opportunity to burnish his conservative credentials and sound like he was the most conservative person alive. Sen. Ted Cruz was one of the few individuals who gave the audience more than just conservative platitudes and anti-Obama rhetoric. Cruz gave the...

The Sarah Palin who returned to the GOP stage Thursday had no props, few Palinisms, and just a ghost of her former folksy twang. So what if there were still falsehoods? Palin 2016! Failed reality television star and mistress of liberal America Sarah Palin is strutting out onstage at CPAC, clad in a white blazer and black skirt. She places her water bottle on the floor next to the podium and opens a binder. A typical Palin speech usually involves props: Dr. Seuss books or Big Gulp sodas. This year, she has none. A typical Palin speech is usually an...

The UKIP leader will share a stage with high-profile US conservatives including Sarah Palin and NRA gun lobbyists.UKIP leader Nigel Farage is expected to get a celebrity reception in Washington when he addresses America's most high-profile right-wing conference this week. Sarah Palin, Rand Paul, Jeb Bush and the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby will be sharing a stage with the British politician after he was invited to address the Conservative Political Action Committee in the US capital. Aides told Sky News his philosophy has much in common with his republican hosts, who also focus on "the battle for smaller...

And the winner is … We had good participation in our Pre-CPAC Reader Poll, in which readers could pick up to 3 candidates. Of course it’s not a “scientific” poll, it’s a snapshot of the Legal Insurrection Readership at a moment in time — more towards the conservative, Tea Party, libertarian …. definitely not “establishment” (however you want to define that, you know it when you see it). There are two clear winners: Ted Cruz who edged out Scott Walker by a narrow margin, after a late surge, with Rand Paul a clear third. No one else was close. There...

One of the Senate’s leading liberals is borrowing a page from the playbook of Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is pushing to strike out language from the “cromnibus” spending bill unveiled Tuesday that would roll back restrictions on “swaps” transactions included in the 2010 financial regulatory overhaul known as Dodd-Frank. Repealing the “push-out” provision would mean that certain derivatives could again be held in bank units with federal deposit insurance. Using a strategy sometimes employed by Cruz for entirely different policy reasons, Warren said that with the $1.013 trillion spending package first being considered by the...

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)Former Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele ripped his party for pushing back hard on President Obama’s immigration plans with a firm demand that they “get a grip.” Appearing on MSNBC, he said he would advise the GOP to work with the previously passed Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill. “Get a grip, because you’re sounding tone deaf here as I think the president is as well but we can talk about that in a moment. Number two, you have the solution already in front of you – the Senate in a bipartisan effort passed an immigration bill...

On Friday, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), in an act of pure political desperation, has now labeled her own constituency racist and sexist. “I’ll be very, very honest with you,” Landrieu said. “The South has not always been the friendliest place for African-Americans. It’s been a difficult time for the president to present himself in a very positive light as leader.” The goal: drive out the black vote, the same way President Obama did in 2012. Landrieu then added that the South is “more of a conservative place” and said that women have a problem “presenting ourselves.” The goal: driving out...

Montgomery County, Maryland, is one of the wealthiest and most liberal counties in America. If there’s a dumb progressive idea that didn’t start there, it will get there sooner or later. Along those lines, the powers that be in Montgomery County are very concerned about low voter turnout. So concerned, in fact, the all Democrat County Council formed a “Right to Vote” Task Force to come up with ways to encourage more people to vote. The task force produced a 76-page report with more than a few suggestions that could raise a few eyebrows. Recommendations 1-3 are: 1. The Task...

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)There are 65 prominent people who might run for president in 2016. The Democratic and Republican fields contrast sharply. Hillary Clinton is the clear front-runner, while there is no front-runner on the Republican side. Twenty-three Democrats have been mentioned as a candidate or are eyeing a bid, according to an analysis by The Hill. The GOP side has 42. Most of the people on this list won’t run, and some have adamantly claimed that they’re not interested. But many politicians have changed their minds on seeking the White House. Before mounting his 2008 bid, then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said he...

Having secured the Republican Nomination in Maryland's 7th Congressional District, Corrogan Vaughn now needs the help of true Conservatives across the nation to defeat President Obama's #1 cheerleader in the House, Rep. Cummings. Cummings has used his position on the House Oversight Committee over the last 6 years to try to protect President Obama from any type of accountability, while promoting the general lie that any oversight of this President is racist in nature. With the election of Mr. Vaughn, Conservatives can remove this stumbling block to any accountability of this administration, while increasing the number of true Conservatives in...

The unaccompanied children from Central American crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally should be deported except in extreme circumstances, according to House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer. “We have an immediate humanitarian crisis that confronts this country, we also have a crisis in terms of this country cannot continue to absorb, nor should it, a limitless number of people who — particularly children who want to cross our border,” Hoyer told reporters Tuesday. According to the Democratic whip the influx is unsustainable in the U.S. “We cannot give these children sanctuary except in extraordinary circumstances. Obviously we have refugee status and protective...

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Maryland Congressional candidate, former Secret Service agent for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and best-selling author Dan Bongino Friday. Palin called Bongino, who is running in Maryland's Sixth Congressional District, a "unique candidate in politics today" because "his boots on the ground experience in Washington, D.C. has given him the wisdom and warrior spirit we need to stop the far left liberal agenda that is fundamentally transforming America." Palin cited Bongino's background of "rigorous training as a U.S. Secret Service agent." She said he will "put to good use the positive characteristics...

Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland's sole Republican representative in Congress, is receiving attention for comments he made on WMAL radio Tuesday about last week's verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman. "We're hung up on this one case where this one fellow was in fact found not guilty by a jury," Harris said during the interview. "That's the way the American law system works. Get over it." Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida, fatally shot Trayvon Martin last year in a case that captured national attention. He was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges on Saturday, sparking protests around...

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on Tuesday said he doesn't understand why gun owners fear the registration of their firearms. "I don't get the fear of registration," Steele said on MSNBC. "I don't get the, the concern about trafficking. Are we saying that we want criminals to, you know, make … back-alley sales out of the trunks of their cars?" Steele was part of a panel on MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown," during which former Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) said that responsible gun owners insure their guns, which means they're registered. "I mean, I don't understand," she said. MSNBC...

The catfight between former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and his replacement, Reince Priebus, has reached screech level, with Steele belittling the party's new focus on minorities as old news. Appearing on the "Andrea Tantaros Show," a nationally syndicated radio show, Steele called the GOP establishment that on Monday unveiled a $10 million minority outreach effort a bunch of "numb nuts" for ignoring the plan he instituted four years ago. Steele also sounded ready to beat up Priebus. Asked by Tantaros who would win in a cage fight, Steele said, "Oh, no question, I would clean his clock." How?...

Hard to argue with that assessment today of all days, but … Mitt Romney’s also been invited this year. The future doesn’t get any more limited than that. Also, since when is one’s prospects in the GOP a litmus test for whether you’re CPAC-worthy or not? Every time someone objects to GOPround’s exclusion, the rejoinder inevitably comes that it’s the “Conservative Political Action Conference,” not the “Republican Political Action Conference.” Okay, in that case, who cares about Christie’s future in the GOP? Either his ideas are conservative enough or they aren’t. Verdict: They aren’t. Or rather, one isn’t. New Jersey...

So last week, I was surprised and oddly delighted by something that my friend Rachel Maddow also picked up on: “They have invited Chris Hayes to CPAC this year, Chris Hayes host of Up w/ Chris Hayes here on MSNBC invited to speak on a panel with Ralph Reed…I don’t know if he’s going to go, but it’s cool that they asked him.” Yes, the legendary Conservative Political Action Conference had invited yours truly to participate at its 40th annual conference this March. I was specifically invited to be part of a panel called: “CSI Washington, D.C.: November 2012 Autopsy”...

This week, as lawmakers in Congress braced themselves for a protracted and impassioned debate over gun control, Democratic governors moved swiftly to push tough new gun laws in response to the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo easily shepherded legislation through a divided state legislature to produce the strictest gun laws in the country. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has proposed similarly stringent measures, including a ban on assault weapons, while Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has called for universal background checks on all gun sales. And what do all three governors have in common (besides a strong...

Is there any calumny that Barack Obama and his minions have not tried to use against Mitt Romney? They have accused him of being: •A murderer. Remember the Joe Soptic ad? •A felon. Remember Stephanie Cutter calling Romney a felon? •A man who tolerates those who are soft on rape. But those slanders weren’t enough. Now the Democratic governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley, who has ambitions for 2016, has called Romney a racist, and you’ll never guess which site gave him a megaphone to use. That’s correct: Politico. Here’s the Maryland party hack’s attack: "When you have a party that...

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday endorsed former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich in the state's GOP gubernatorial primary, pitting him against his former presidential running mate, Sarah Palin. The former GOP Alaska governor and potential 2012 presidential candidate endorsed Republican investor Brian Murphy, a once-little-known candidate who is mounting a primary challenge against Ehrlich. McCain told the Associated Press that Ehrlich is a "fine guy" and that he is backing his shot at another term in office. The Maryland governor's primary is one of the first in which McCain and Palin have found themselves supporting opposing candidates. Palin has endorsed...

Conservative darling and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has endorsed gubernatorial candidate Brian Murphy today, according to a post on her Facebook page. It is the first Palin endorsement in Maryland. Murphy is running for the state GOP nomination as a more conservative alternative to Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who has most of the establishment GOP support in the state. So far, Murphy has not shown up in polls or had much of an impact on the race, but in other states a nod from Palin has given outlying candidates momentum. On the stump Murphy says both...

Maryland could use some serious help in defeating Steny Hoyer in November... yeah it CAN be done. Charles Lollar for Congress Marylands 5th District http://www.lollarforcongress.com/index.php/home This guy has the potential and I believe is a serious challenger. Lollar is a former Marine officer who spent time overseas in Kosovo and continues to serve in a reserve capacity as an Intelligence Analyst at the Pentagon. Former Charles County Republican Party chairman Charles Lollar is intent on unseating House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer this fall, thus ending the Maryland Democrat’s 28-year run in Congress. “The demographics are different across Prince George’s, Calvert...

Brigadier General (R) Anthony J. Tata wrote a great piece today for Big Government in which he, among other things, recalled Governor Palin's visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center last December: "As a retired flag officer, I often have the privilege of visiting with our wounded and their families and so I commit some time and money, donating so far 100% of the book royalties to the USO Metro DC Hospital Services Fund for our wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda National Naval Medical Center. The huge response my review of her book generated, and...

For Immediate Release Vaughn is the Republican Party’s best hope in claiming Maryland’s U.S. Senate Seat Baltimore, Md.--, Corrogan R. Vaughn is the Republican Party’s best hope at reclaiming the U.S. Senate Seat currently held by Barbara Mikulski. Vaughn, a Baltimore Resident and businessman has long been active in Maryland’s Republican Party becoming one of its rising stars over the years. Vaughn, a behind-the-scenes conservative who has seen his influence grow as of late due to his association with the Tea Party Movement, opposition to Government-Run Health Care and the renewed interest in conservative fiscal and social values espoused by...

With freshman Rep. Frank Kratovil’s (D-Md.) conservative Eastern Shore district near the top of the Republican target list next year, Maryland state Sen. Andy Harris aims to avenge what turned out to be one of the most disappointing losses of 2008 for the GOP. But he might not be alone. Sources say state Sen. E.J. Pipkin is also leaning toward entering the primary for a second-straight cycle, and former state House Minority Leader Al Redmer told The Hill on Monday that he too could run against Harris.

Del. Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio (R-Dist. 37B) of Newcomb At just 31 years old, Haddaway-Riccio has long been considered one of the GOP's rising stars. Some see her as an ideal candidate for the 1st Congressional District. She's the daughter of an Eastern Shore waterman, boasts a strong environmental record, owns a graphic design company and is a fiscal conservative who has strong crossover appeal. Her composed presence within the GOP caucus and her strong debating skills on the House floor have earned kudos. She also has won plaudits for her advocacy of women's issues and her promotion of rural broadband. "Jeannie's...

I can’t really find too much to argue with what Michelle Malkin said here regarding RNC Chair Michael Steele’s recent comments (audio and video here of Steele’s comments and Rush’s response) about Rush Limbaugh and how Steele fed right into the mainstream media/lefty (but I repeat myself) playbook in agreeing with their over-simplistic characterizations of Rush Limbaugh - and of the convention goers at the GOP National Convention. For the last comment, where he didn’t speak up and protest when the interviewer (CNN’s D.L. Hughley) said that the GOP convention looked like “Nazi Germany,” Steele owes every single conservative an...

Today, the Club for Growth PAC endorsed Republican Maryland State Senator Andrew Harris in Maryland’s first congressional district’s Republican primary. State Senator Andrew Harris has a consistent track record of fighting for limited government and pro-growth policies. Harris led the floor fight against the Wal-Mart Tax bill in the Maryland State Senate and sponsored a repeal of the Maryland inheritance tax (SB 160, 2000). In a demonstration of his principled independence, he voted against 6 out of 9 state budgets (SB 323, HB 935, SB 508, HB 147, AP 03/28/06, HB 50) and sponsored of a constitutional amendment to protect...

Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has thrown his support behind state Sen. Andrew P. Harris' attempt to unseat a fellow Republican, Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, in the upcoming congressional races. Mr. Ehrlich's chief fundraiser, Richard E. Hug, has joined Mr. Harris' exploratory committee and cultivated donors for a Harris fundraiser last week in Baltimore that featured an appearance by Mr. Ehrlich. "Many of you know [Mr. Harris]. He is a tireless campaigner and has an excellent shot at winning this seat," Mr. Hug wrote to supporters in advance of the fundraiser. In addition, Mr. Harris is a frequent guest...

House Republican Wayne T. Gilchrest's votes to stop funding the war in Iraq has challengers saying the long-term congressman may have run his course. Two Democrats -- Eastern Shore lawyers Frank M. Kratovil Jr. and Christopher R. Robinson -- announced they will run for Mr. Gilchrest's seat, and state Sen. Andrew P. Harris, a Baltimore County Republican, is expected to announce that he is running.

It turns out the numbers in the Comptroller's race aren't the only interesting ones in a new poll commissioned by Del. Peter Franchot (D-Montgomery), a hopeful for the office. The same poll, conducted by Garin Hart Yang, showed the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in a statistical dead heat between Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin of Baltimore and Kweisi Mfume, the former congressman and NAACP leader. Cardin had the support of 32 percent of likely Democratic voters, while Mfune netted 31 percent. No other caniddate received more than 3 percent and 32 percent were undecided. In the Democratic primary for governor,...

[snip from Roll Call]Black Republican Could Scramble the Free State’s Senate Race Math By Josh Kurtz Roll Call Staff February 16, 2006 CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. — This is what a nightmare looks like for Senate Democrats: a roomful of black people, most of them lifelong supporters of the Democratic Party — and many of them committed to, or seriously considering, voting for the Republican in a close election...----------[snip from steeleformaryland.com]He's Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, the GOP's great black hope, the Republican with the best chance of winning a Senate election in Maryland since 1980. … "He's more liberal than the...

You guys should check this group out. I met one of their members out in Ohio working with a congressional candidate. They knew what they were doing and I was impressed but i didn't realize that Alex had his own team until yesterday. I looked at their website its got some really solid ideas in terms of strategy. Check it out: http://www.vandenberg-strategies.com

I've been a lurker on Freep for a couple of years and love the site; I was hoping maybe some of you guys could give me some career advice. I'd like to get involved in the political game as a professional. I'm not a policy wonk; I'd like to be a behind the scenes image crafter/campaign strategy type guy. I am currently in IT, where I use my analytical/logical mind to solve complex problems. To me it's boring and I feel like I'm wasting my talents as someone with both a logical and creative 'outside the box' mindset. I’ve got...

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Neither Ehrlich or Steele Will Rule Out Running For Senate While O’Malley and Duncan have given unequivocal statements stating that they will not run for Paul Sarbanes’ seat and will remain in the Governor’s race, neither Governor Ehrlich or Lt. Governor Michael Steele would give the same unequivocal statement when asked. From The Baltimore Sun. "Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said yesterday that he and Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele had been contacted by “the powers that be” in Washington about the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Paul S. Sarbanes, and that the two had planned a discussion...

I like this guy!! Chuck Floyd has guts, It's about time we caught the Dems Napping. I for one am giving the www.floydforcongress.com a donation. Their phone number is 301-656-1313 Van Hollen Is Caught Off Guard; Name Is Used by Foe's Web Sites The GOP candidate for Congress from Maryland's 8th District says it was an opportunity he couldn't let pass. But incumbent Rep. Chris Van Hollen said Charles R. Floyd's Web sites represent "a new low for politics in this area." Repeating a tactic he used against his Republican primary opponent this year, Floyd bought three Internet domain names...

Gannett Fails One-Newspaper Communities/Counties- Port Huron Times Herald a Queue for Government Intervention? In particular, with today’s concentration of all reporting medium with just a few companies- who determines the void or lack of reporting in the best interest to citizens. I’ve challenged a Gannett newspaper, the Times Herald of Port Huron Michigan of its obligation citizens in one-newspaper counties. There appears to be an immediate need to make certain legislation be brought requiring corporate newspapers to better report news and serving the communities they cover. At a crucial time with the 2004 Primary literally days away- this particular newspaper,...

The poll of 600 likely Republican voters in St. Clair County Michigan’s State Representative District 81 countywide found Alloway leading Pavlov by 12 points, 48 percent to 40 percent in a three-way race with Yale Republican Steve Pray Nader included in the ballot test.

“A Michigan Impossible until we work together ending illegal state house electioneering practices” Joe Alloway-R Michigan House District 81 St. Clair County Michigan PORT HURON – JULY 11, 2004 - Please listen to a recent interview (http://66.92.134.175/~benburch/old/TrupianoShow-(10-5-2004).mp3) exposing Michigan’s #1 area to reform and that’s ending illegal activities in Michigan’s House Republican Caucus Communications Office! Very few citizens asked have no idea of what that word means. Folks, the bottom line is we’ve had some major problems in this antiquated, 50-person staffed office and they’re just coming public. Take recent revelations of state employees assigned to representatives as campaign managers...

I just got back last week from driving across the country, I live in Washington State and drove to PA in see my wifes family and took I-80 and I-90 back home. With my Bush/Cheney sticker from 2000 in my back window along with my W-04 sticker I got a aproviel rating of about 75% judging from the honks and thumbs ups from fellow drivers. Funny how I got the 1 finger salute from the folks with the Kerry stickers. My question to you is do you vent your hate and anger at fellow drivers on the road with a...

Last night, I was told that a report was recently published by some DC think-tank. This report ranked members of congress in order of taxpayer-friendliness, i.e. it examined their votes on tax-related bills and determined where any particular member of congress came in on higher or lower taxes for their constituents. The same person who told me about the report told me that a whopping 75% of house and senate members from my state were in the top 20 LEAST friendly to taxpayers in their voting records. Have any of you heard of this report? Can you point me to...